Phone: 814-227-2420 www.apscuf.org May 2018 Executive Committee: President – Ray Feroz; Vice President – Joyce Overly; Secretary – Christopher McCarrick; Treasurer – Linda Lillard; Delegates – Ray Feroz, Barry Sweet; Jonathan Touster, Annette Rosati, Lorie Taylor; Alternate Delegates – Ellen Foster, Jennifer May, Cristin Ketley, Karl Sprenger, Jacqueline Knaust; Coaches President - Sean Esterhuizen; Coaches Vice President – Al Modrzejewski; Coaches’ Grievance Chair – Eric Laughlin; Venango Campus – Renee Bloom; CAP – Joseph Croskey; DRC – Amy Love-Conner/Mary Buchanan; Grievance – Mary Buchanan/Mark Kilwein; Health & Welfare – Marilyn Howe; Legislative – Jonathan Touster; Membership – Paul Klenowski; Negotiations – Ray Feroz; Nominations & Elections – YooJin Ha; Social Justice – Amy Conner-Love; Public Affairs/Relations – Christopher McCarrick; Student Liaison – Naomi Bell O’Neil; Rules & Bylaws – Carey Childers; Mobilization Co-Chairs – Lorie Taylor & Jacqueline Knaust; State Temporary Faculty Committee – Michael Hissam; State APSCUF Executive Council – Joyce Overly The President’s Message… Dear Colleagues, Another academic year is about to become history. We wish you a great summer: restful, productive, fulfilling - may you find whatever your heart needs. Enjoy the midyear! Invitation to Our End-of-Semester Social Sobina, Joe Grunenwald, John Phillips, Rod Griffin, Randy Seitz, Hope Lineman and Lee James. I deeply appreciate our faculty colleagues who volunteered to serve on this and other process improvement committees. Godspeed to Our Retirees Please plan to join us at the Clarion River Brewing Company on Wednesday May 9 from 4-6 pm. There will be hors’d’ouvres, soft drinks and a cash bar. End the semester with your colleagues and friends. Special thanks to Doug Knepp and his committee for chairing the May 2nd faculty retirement reception cosponsored by APSCUF and President Fackler’s office. Honored were: Greg Clary, Linda Cheresnowski, Nancy Clemente, Bob Frakes, Mary Jo Reef, Bruce Smith and Joe Wyatt. Committees Update Why Belong to APSCUF? It looks like the implementation of joint FacultyManagement process improvement committees mentioned in my April message will be delayed in implementation until fall 2018. The only exception is the Venango Steering Committee which will launch on May 11. Their charge is to “discuss and provide recommendations supporting Venango Campus as a growing element of Clarion University. This will include identifying the unique and specific mission/purpose of Venango Campus. That mission should include Venango’s unique fit within Clarion University, as well as how it should relate to the region and other institutions (community colleges, businesses, etc.).” The members of the Venango Steering Committee are: Beth Jackson, Jen May, Ellen Foster, Chris Weidle, Brianna Steele, Tammy Dulaney, Debbie May 2017 APSCUF allows for equalization of power with management and gives members protections and voice in their employment. Specifically: * Equity in terms of compensation, benefits, promotions and working conditions. * Job security – Academic freedom, professional autonomy. No discipline, layoffs or termination without due process. * Transparency – free access to policies, information and financial reports. Without the Collective Bargaining Agreement, we would be individually subject to the judgement and decisions of management, good or bad, reasonable or www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 1 unreasonable. Given the track record of management actions such as the reorganization of 2013-14, or even last year’s retrenchment letter, do you want your fate to be put totally in the hands of any university administration? Appreciation for our CBA, and sympathy for faculty in those institutions without faculty unions, can be illustrated by the newest idea in higher education: Volunteer Faculty, which has been described as public higher education’s death knell. Thanks to Rick Sabousky for sharing this article, check it out: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/justvisiting/volunteer-faculty-death-knell-publichigher-ed Finally, did you know that Pitt faculty are organizing right now to form a faculty union? They are figuring things out regarding the need for faculty power equity. Bottom line: APSCUF equalizes power and is there for you in good times and bad times. We have today’s benefits and securities because of the hard-fought efforts of faculty who came before us. We need to stay APSCUF-strong! If you are not a current APSCUF member, we invite your membership application. Paul Klenowski is our Membership Chair and of course, Jan Walters, our Office Manager, can answer any questions. Enjoy your summer! We’ll send you e-mails this summer for anything urgent and important. In solidarity, Ray WELCOME ABOARD TO OUR NEWEST APSCUF MEMBER!! HEIDI UNDERWOOD – Communication Sciences & Disorders SUMMER SCHOOL PAYMENTS FOR 2018 SUMMER SESSION I: May 25, 2018 SUMMER SESSION II: June 22, 2018 SUMMER SESSION III: August 3, 2018 May 2017 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 2 Clarion APSCUF Fall 2018 Scholarships Awarded CONGRATULATIONS to the following APSCUF Scholarship winners who were awarded $500 each for the Fall 2018 semester. This year there were 41 outstanding applications submitted by currently enrolled students throughout Clarion and Venango campuses. The scholarship winners were recommended by the APSCUF Scholarship Committee (Committee Chair Dr. Simon Aristeguieta, Dr. Todd Lavin and Dr. Jeffrey Diamond) and were approved at the Executive Committee meeting on April 3, 2018. Front LR: Alivia Shuttleworth, Hannah Phillips, Jia Zhu Back LR: Chapter President Dr. Ray Feroz, Jordyn Wilson, Hannah Drass, Katharine Gannon, Committee Member Dr. Jeffrey Diamond APSCUF Child – Hannah Phillips (Biology) Graduate – Hannah Drass (Speech Language Pathology) Senior – Katharine Gannon (Speech Pathology & Audiology) Junior - Alivia Shuttleworth (Biology/Pre-Veterinarian) Freshman/Sophomore – Jia Zhu (Chemistry) At Large – Jordyn Wilson (Speech Language Pathology) HEALTH CARE OPEN ENROLLMENT REMINDER: Open Enrollment for PASSHE Health Plan for Active Employees is from NOW through Friday, May 4, 2018. If you would like to add/drop dependents, waive coverage, or enroll in the Highmark PPO plan you will be able to make those changes during the annual Health Care Open Enrollment period of April 23, 2018 to May 4, 2018. Any changes to your coverage should be submitted via the Employee Self Service (ESS) portal. Here is the link to ESS: https://portal.passhe.edu/irj/portal . If you choose to enroll in the Highmark PPO during the Health Care Open Enrollment period, you will not be able to re-enroll in the UPMC HMO plan at a future date. No new enrollments are allowed into the UPMC HMO plan after January 1, 2019. DEADLINE FOR PARTICIPATION in the Healthy U Wellness program is May 31, 2018. With your completion of the Healthy U requirements:  You will pay the lowest employee premium contribution for the plan year starting in July 1, 2018.  You will be provided with tools, support, resources and programs to help you maintain and improve your health and well-being. DON’T WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO COMPLETE YOUR PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS FOR HEALTHY U! May 2017 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 3 HAPPY RETIREMENT!! Best Wishes to our 2017-2018 Retirees      Dr. Mary Jo Reef, Social Sciences  Dr. Bruce Smith, Education  Dr. Joseph Wyatt, Computer Infor Sciences Ms. Linda Cheresnowski, Libraries Dr. Greg Clary, Special Education Ms. Nancy Clemente, Libraries Dr. Robert Frakes, Social Sciences ATTENTION NEW FACUTLY RETIREES: PA Faculty Health and Welfare Fund Benefits will end on the last day of the following month after your retirement date. Retirees have the option of signing up for COBRA for their Health and Welfare benefits for an 18-month period or paying for dental/vision benefits thru APSCURF, the retirement association. All Clarion APSCUF Retirees receive a one-year membership paid by Clarion APSCUF to the Association of State College and University of Retired Faculties (APSCURF). As an APSCURF member, retirees are entitled to the special services they enjoyed as an APSCUF member plus the voluntary member-paid dental/vision benefit option plan. LR: President Pete Fackler, Nancy Clemente, Bruce Smith, Linda Cheresnowski, Chapter President Ray Feroz EMERITUS STATUS PROCEDURES Nominations for Emeritus Status should be initiated by member(s) of the appropriate department/unit and announced at a department/unit meeting, normally within one year following retirement. The nominated member(s) of the department/unit shall forward a one-page summary of the significant accomplishments made by the nominee to the Dean and appropriate Vice President. The Office of the Provost and Academic Vice President will be responsible for the implementation of this policy and its procedures. The above procedures for departments to follow to request emeritus status for retiring faculty in departments are taken from the Clarion University of Pennsylvania Policy on Emeritus Status. A copy of the entire policy is available from the APSCUF office. If you have faculty who are retiring at the end of the fall or spring semester in your department, please follow the procedures in this policy to request emeritus status for the nominee. At April’s Legislative Assembly, APSCUF-CAP again endorsed Gov. Tom Wolf. Clarion APSCUF Delegates at April’s APSCUF Legislative Assembly in State College with Gov. Tom Wolf. Front LR: Jan Walters, Gov. Tom Wolf, Cristin Ketley, Joyce Overly Back LR: Karl Sprenger, Ray Feroz, Jonathon Touster, Lorie Taylor May 2017 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 4 SPRING 2018 ELECTIONS RESULTS ANNOUNCED The Clarion APSCUF Nominations and Elections Committee is pleased to announce the results of the 2018 General Spring Elections for APSCUF Positions and Committees along with University-wide Contractual Committees. Thank you, all, for your interest in serving our union and our university community. And thanks to all who participated in the election, candidates and voters; your contributions are appreciated. N & E Committee: YooJin Ha (Chair), Ellen Foster, Amanda Lockwood, Jane Walsh & Jesse Haight APSCUF OFFICES & COMMITTEES Secretary: (1 one-year term) Christopher McCarrick Alternate Delegate to Legislative Assembly: (2 two-year term) Ellen Foster Jonathan Touster Treasurer: (1 one-year term) Linda Lillard Nominations & Elections Committee: (3 two-year term) Doug Knepp Chunfei Li Jane Walsh Delegate to Legislative Assembly: (2 two-year term) Jennifer May Barry Sweet Venango Campus Representative: (1 one-year term) Renee Bloom CONTRACTUAL COMMITTEES Promotion Committee: (3 three-year term) Stephen Gendler Helen Hampikian Linda Lillard Sabbatical Leave Committee: (2 three-year term) Leah Chambers David Lott Tenure Committee: (2 three-year term) Paul Klenowski Naomi “Bell” O’Neil CCPS: (2 three-year term) Daniel Shifflet Karl Sprenger CONGRATULATIONS to Ellen Foster who was recently elected to serve on the State Audit Committee. Also next year, Joyce Overly will continue to serve on the State Executive Committee. Clarion APSCUF will be well represented at State APSCUF! SUMMER HOURS and SUMMER CLOSINGS: Clarion APSCUF Office Summer Hours are from 8 am till 4:00 pm. The office is scheduled to be closed on the following days:       Monday, May 14 Monday-Wednesday, May 21-23 Friday & Monday, May 25 & May 28 Friday, June 1 June 8 through June 25 Monday thru Wednesday, July 2-4 Have a safe and enjoyable summer! May 2018 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 5 May 30 is the deadline to R.S.V.P. to our Legislative Reception and legislator visits in Harrisburg. We hope to see you next month. Dear colleagues: Please join me, your colleagues from our 14 universities, and legislators for our 2018 APSCUF Legislative Reception 5–8 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, at The Capital Gastropub. After two more hostile appropriations-committee hearings, a biased Rand study, legislators singling out APSCUF as the cause of all of our universities’ woes, and a major gubernatorial candidate proposing to close or privatize our universities, we must all to talk to our legislators to make certain that they get accurate information about APSCUF and the great things that are happening on our campuses every day. Further, we need to continue to push a proactive and positive agenda that includes the Pennsylvania Promise and our support of the governor’s recommended $15 million increase to the State System. Along with these proactive items, it will be perfect timing for us to play defense on issues like the Rand Corporation report and any proposed cuts to the $15 million increase. We talk to legislators every day in the Capitol, but our faculty and coaches do the best job of communicating. The legislators want to hear directly from you! A bipartisan group of legislators from every region of the state attended last year, and our faculty had the opportunity to engage them in a relaxed setting over cocktails and appetizers. This atmosphere promotes candid conversation, and it allows you to directly educate them about our universities, and to do so unfiltered by State System or university administrators. If the last year has taught us anything, it is that we must all actively engage in the political process, and attending is one way to do just that. In addition to Tuesday night's event, our staff will set up meetings on Wednesday, June 6, for anyone who wishes to have in-office meetings with their state legislators at the Capitol. Hotel accommodations will be provided for any member who stays for these meetings. Please give serious consideration to registering for either or both of these events. Click here to register online or click here to download a fillable PDF of the registration form to return to Ty Marks at tmarks@apscuf.org. We need your help. I look forward to seeing you there! In solidarity and with thanks, Ken May 2018 www.apscuf.org/universities/clarion 6